Oh, holiday season, how we love you. We love the noise, the crowds, the children’s smiles, the shopping. We love it all, and it almost seems that for one short period every year we can spend without worry. Now is the time to be happy, to give happiness—which often involves spending—gift wrap, party, and celebrate the season. We'll worry about the financial issues next month. Does this Sound Familiar While we're busily distracted by pretty lights, too many of us can get caught up in …
43 Holiday Tips to Get You Through the Season with Ease
Getting through the holidays stress-free can be a daunting task. Let's face it, no matter how many deep-breathing techniques we employ, sometimes there's just no escaping all there is to do over the holidays. I love picking up new tips every year that alleviate some of the pressure. I shared six of my best a couple of weeks ago, but I KNOW there's so many more. I reached out to some of my followers on Twitter and they shared their best with me, but that STILL wasn't enough, so I went deeper …
30 Must-Read Children’s Christmas Books
It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas ... everywhere you go (sorry, I couldn't resist!) One of the things I get most excited about at Christmas is the wonderful mood people are in (except at the malls) and the general feeling of goodwill toward all. Even typically cranky people tend to lighten-up during the festive season. I know I’m sounding all Polyanna over here, but let me live in my little corner of Pleasantville for a while, won’t you? There are some sweet …
Christmas Mourning
This year my holiday spirit is...well, less than stellar, which does not bode well in my house since my husband is already on the naughty list for not being a fan of the holidays any year. When my cheer’o’meter is low, I can usually fill it up rather quickly. This year however, there is just nothing in the tank. My family is dealing with loss over this holiday season. Unfortunately I have experience dealing with loss at this time of year. This will be my eighteenth Christmas without my older …
Super Easy Sugar Cookies for Christmas
For the last few years, I’ve leaned towards DIY Christmas gifts for my loved ones – in part because budgeting for gifts is extremely difficult on a single income, but also because I love making things. After spending hours and hours trying to decide what the “best” gift for this person or that person might be, I threw caution to the wind last year and made almost every gift I gave. It was awesome. My favourite DIYs involved my son's hands and feet, first with our Christmas Tree canvas …